Fisheries Blog Why You Should Consider Getting a Downrigger

You know what they say... size matters! When playing with the big fish, you don't want to fight the big weights.Sport fish tend to concentrate in schools at whatever depth in the water they are currently finding food. Used in concert with a fishing rod and reel, downriggers make it possible for fishermen to troll their bait or lures at the specific depth in the water where it has been determined that schools of fish are present.The downrigger is typically mounted on the boat's gunnel, and consists of a rotating spool of wire cable, a boom to extend the wire out over the water, a wire pulley at the end of the boom, a heavy weight (typically a lead ball) attached to the end of the cable, and a cable length/depth counting device.Many models of downriggers incorporate fishing rod holders for the added convenience of not having to install separate rod holders, as well as to keep the fishing line directly aligned with the downrigger cable - helping to prevent them from tangling. The downrigger wire spool may be turned manually, or by an integral electric motor.The rotating spool allows you to pay out or retrieve the wire, while the lead weight keeps the end of the wire at the desired depth, in spite of the motion of the boat through the water as you troll.Several feet from the bait or lure, the fishing rod's line is placed in the jaws of a release clip which, in turn, is attached to the downrigger's wire cable near the weight. The weight is then lowered to the required depth, determined by the depth counter.The result is that the fishing lure is streamed behind the downrigger's cable, at a depth maintained by the lead weight. When a fish strikes the lure, the fishing line is tugged free of the release clip on the downrigger's cable, leaving the heavy weight on the downrigger. The angler is then free to fight the fish on the rod and reel alone, without the added drag of the heavy downrigger cable and weight.This represents a radical evolution from the practice of attaching heavy weights directly to the fishing line and lure, like you did when you were a kid, making it difficult to even tell if there was a fish on the line.Interested in shopping around for a downrigger? Check out our selection of downriggers here. *Image Courtesy of WikiMedia Commons